I have an anonymous OV-chipkaart (Dutch public transport electronic card). I don't have a Dutch banking card. (In other words, I'm a foreigner who goes to the Netherlands occasionally.) What are my options to recharge the OV-chipkaart, either with cash (ideally banknotes) or with a credit card?

Would getting a nominative card enable me to recharge it through the website without a Dutch banking card?

3 Answers
3

Would getting a nominative card enable me to recharge it through the website without a Dutch banking card?

No it wouldn't. Last time I've checked, online payments were done via IDEAL, which only works with Dutch banks. Also it's really crappy solution, where you pay on-line, but then you actually have to find physical terminal to put the credit on the card.

There are many types of chip-card recharging machines, some of them in theory do accept VISA and MasterCard credit cards (although my personal experience trying non-Dutch VISA credit card was negative).

UPDATE: Seems that this has improved lately, in many places foreign cards with EMV chip seem to work in the Netherlands.

Generally speaking whole OV-chipkaart system is total mess. It's also not very clear which products you can put on which type of cards (some allow you to get both GVB and NS credit, some don't).

Safest way is to go to one of GVB's information centers, but unfortunately that means waiting in queue (very long queue in case of the one near Amsterdam Centraal).

all Dutch Maestro terminals have now been replaced (or should have been) with chip reading terminals. The stripe readers are being phased out, many readers that still feature them will have them disabled.
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jwentingMay 3 '12 at 9:05

If only need a "OV-chipkaart" for the train, you don't actually need one. can just order the train tickets online and print it at home on paper.

If you need it for the busses, metro, and tram, you indeed need to charge it. Personally I have a OV-chipkaart which is connected to my train reduction card. For about 50 euros per year, you get 40% discount on all train journey outside peakhours. This reduction card does also contain an OV-chipkaart, which you can upload at trainstations. At the main stations you can charge with major credit cards. You need to look for the yellow/blue automatic vending machines, that contain large touch screens. I am not sure if they accept all OV-chipcards, or only those connected to a NS-reduction card.

According to the OV chipkaart website, they offer online charging. It is a bit of hazzle though. First you need to buy credit online, then you need to find the closest "charging devise" to load your credit to your personal card. Since the english page is only partially translated, here is a dictionary to understand the website.

Profiteer van het gemak van reizen op saldo

Profit from the ease of traveling with credit (Ease? Yeah right)

Aan het begin van uw reis checkt u in, aan het einde checkt u uit

At the beginning of your journey you check in, at the end you check out

all info should be here: https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/?taal=en but since the company in charge of this system is incapable of getting anything right, I'm not surprised the English translation is lacking.

In short it seems you can recharge it at certain ticket offices. My guess is the ticket offices at the bigger train stations are your best bet.

Other than that, all the options require the use of an ATM card. So if your ATM card is accepted in the Netherlands, you should be able to recharge your card at the OV-Chipcard machines.

There's a recharge point locator‌​, but as far as I can tell (I don't speak Dutch, I can only decipher it or read automated translations), it only has a way to look for places that accept cash (mostly offices of GVB and the like at main NS stations) and a way to look for places that accept Dutch banking cards. I have a credit card that works in ATMs, but not in a lot of Dutch machines such as NS/GVB ticket machines. Nor can I tell if a personal card would broaden my options.
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GillesJul 15 '11 at 23:36

Well, I'm from the Netherlands so reading the stuff is not the problem. The recharge locater helps you out only if your bankcard is accepted by the machines. A personal (=non anonymous) card allows you to buy a subscription or special product from the various transport companies. But those usually require you to pay by bank transfer. If I where you, I would not bother with the personalised cards.
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JaccoJul 16 '11 at 9:37

I just check the website of GVB (the company that manages the public transport in Amsterdam) and it states that you should be able to pay with a credit card and/or cash at any of recharge points (located in (tobacco) shops or super markets).
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Ivo FlipseOct 26 '11 at 7:35

With the OV-chipcard there tends to be a difference between 'should' and 'will'. Nevertheless, supermarkets and tobacco shops are probably a tourists best bet.
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JaccoOct 26 '11 at 8:00